The New World/ Two Worlds Paper

The New World/ Two Worlds Paper

Introduction

America's early history began with Native American of North America, Europeans, and West African people. American was discovered by Europeans accidentally, then they created empires after defeating the native people and enslaving the Africans. Enslavement and conquest is accompanied by cultural interaction for centuries, Interaction that was the tragedy for Native Americans and Africans, was a success for the Europeans, but all these three parties transformed by this interaction.

Discussion

Throughout the early 16th century and into the late 17th century, change and adjustment were constant factors present in America. Social diversity would be forever altered upon the arrival of Christopher Columbus and other Europeans to the “new world” in the late 15th century. The Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans were three groups that faced ongoing changes and adjustments while living in America during the 16th and 17th century. These changes varied from group to the group, and some changes had greater impacts than others. While many people embraced the changes that were occurring, there was also a great amount of the populace who opposed it. In most instances, the changes occurring were often inevitable and unavoidable. A majority of people were experiencing more change, and a smaller amount of people were experiencing less change between the early 16th and late 17th centuries for Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans. The amount of change occurring at a specific time varied from group to the group and sometimes went unnoticed by those experiencing it; however, change was constantly and consistently present for most throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.

After the arrival of Europeans, there were two groups of Native Americans: those who chose to assimilate to European culture and those who resisted the change of accepting an unfamiliar culture. Both groups of Native Americans faced the most change during the early 16th century when the Europeans began to colonize the “new world”. The mainstream of Europeans believed that the Native Americans were barbaric, uneducated, and uncivilized. For this reason the Europeans did not agree with the different lifestyle that the indigenous led and decided that it would be out of rightness and justice to “destroy [the] barbarism and educate these people to a more humane and virtuous life.”. The Europeans felt the most appropriate and affective way to assimilate Native Americans to the European culture would be to force this change on the indigenous and not provide them with any other option. Their rights were instantly changed upon arrival of the Europeans when the Requerimiento was read.

If the Native Americans tried to refuse the Europeans rule “they may be compelled by force of arms to accept it.” The Native Americans faced the most change during this time because if they chose to resist the assimilation, it could cost them their lives. Those who chose to assimilate to the European's new lifestyle faced a great amount of change because they no longer practiced their traditional lifestyle. They were now forced to practice the same religion of Catholicism, share the same land, and practice the European ...